Dharma And Ecology Of Hindu Communities: Sustenance And Sustainability (ashgate New Critical Thinking In Religion, Theology, And Biblical Studies)

In Indic religious traditions, a number of rituals and myths exist in which the environment is revered. Despite this nature worship in India, its natural resources are under heavy pressure with its growing economy and exploding population. This has led several scholars to raise questions about the role religious communities can play in environmentalism. Does nature worship inspire Hindus to act in an environmentally conscious way? This book explores the above questions with three communities, the Swadhyaya movement, the Bishnoi, and the Bhil communities. Presenting the texts of Bishnois, their environmental history, and their contemporary activism; investigating the Swadhyaya movement from an ecological perspective; and exploring the Bhil communities and their Sacred Groves, this book applies a non-Western hermeneutical model to interpret the religious traditions of Indic communities. With a foreword by Roger S Gottlieb. 1. Introduction 2. Theoretical Propositions for Indic Traditions and Ecology 3. The Swadhyaya Movement 4. The Bishnoi Community 5. Sacred Groves of Bhils 6. Modern Organizations Adapting to Ecology 7. Dharma as Religious and Environmental Ethos 8. Conclusions Appendices. A. Translation of Jambhesvara's sabdas B. Hindu Myths in Jambhesvara's Sabdas C. Bishnoi Saṃskāras ("Rites of Passage") D. Translation of Jambhesvara Darsana by Brahmanand Sharma E. Athavale's Ecological Inspirations F. History of Benesvara, a Bhil pilgrimage center. Despite the nature worship in India, its natural resources are under heavy pressure with its growing economy and exploding population. Does nature worship inspire Hindus to act in an environmentally conscious way? This book explores the above questions with three communities, the Swadhyaya movement, the Bishnoi, and the Bhil communities.